A perfectly plush, soft, classic vanilla cake recipe made entirely from scratch! It’s so simple to make, and tastes much better than a box mix! Recipe includes a how-to video.
A Classic Vanilla Cake, Made Entirely From-Scratch
Every baker needs a solid vanilla cake recipe in their repertoire, and today’s recipe is just that.
It’s soft, plush, and perfectly moist. Not to be confused with my white cake, this recipe is a beautiful pale golden color and distinctly vanilla flavored. It pairs beautifully with any frosting, although a traditional chocolate frosting is my favorite finish!
Like my chocolate cake, this has been one of my most popular recipes for years (and you may recognize it as the base for both my pineapple upside-down cake and my marble cake). It’s a simple, classic, and incredible vanilla cake. So many of you have tried and loved this recipe, and while the recipe remains exactly the same, I thought it was about time for a facelift with new photos and a new video.
The flavor and texture of this cake is so much better than box-mix, and the preparation is almost as easy. I’ve included a few tips below to help you be successful, so make sure to read all the notes before you get started.
What You Need
After testing many versions and combinations of ingredients, I’ve found that a good vanilla cake needs the following ingredients:
- Oil AND butter. A blend of these two ingredients gives the cake the best possible flavor and texture. Butter provides flavor while oil adds moisture and keeps it from being too dry. A cake made with all oil would be moist but lacking in flavor, and an all-butter cake may have a more buttery taste, but would be more dry. Any neutral cooking oil will work here, but I typically recommend using either vegetable or canola oil. For the butter, unsalted is best so we have maximum control over the flavor of the cake
- Sugar. Plain granulated sugar works best. Brown sugar would add moisture, but would detract from the classic vanilla flavor and even weigh down the cake a bit.
- Eggs. You’ll need four eggs, and it’s best if you bring them to room temperature before adding them (this helps them incorporate into the batter more evenly).
- Vanilla. You can’t have vanilla cake without vanilla! I recommend using a good quality vanilla extract, so if you’ve got a batch of homemade vanilla extract, use it here!
- Flour. I developed this vanilla cake recipe to be work with all-purpose flour and that’s what I always use. However, you *could* use cake flour instead. To substitute by weight, you would use the same amount, but if you are using measuring cups you will need to substitute your flour properly.
- Baking powder. I know a tablespoon of baking powder may seem like a lot, but that’s not a typo. Always make sure your baking soda is fresh and avoid using a generic brand, which I’ve had mixed results with in the past.
- Salt. You can just use plain table salt.
- Buttermilk. I strongly recommend using full-fat buttermilk for the best flavor and texture. While I do have a buttermilk substitute, it doesn’t really make this vanilla cake quite as moist and flavorful as I like it to be, so now I strictly recommend using real buttermilk. And no, you do not *need* to have baking soda in a recipe in order to use buttermilk; we’re using it for its moisture and flavor here!
SAM’S TIP: One of the biggest mistakes you can make with this recipe is neglecting to measure your flour properly. If you over or under-measure your flour, your cake will not turn out right! Use the right method, be as precise as possible, and use a kitchen scale if you have one.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Vanilla Cake
- Cream the butter, oil, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, add your vanilla and stir to combine.
- Combine your dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add about ⅓ of the mixture into your bowl. Use a spatula to gently stir until just combined. Follow this with about ½ of your buttermilk, and stir again until just combined. .
- Add ½ of the remaining dry ingredients stir, and then add the remainder of the buttermilk. Finish with the final portion of dry ingredients and use your spatula to make sure the batter is smooth–do NOT overmix!
- Divide the batter evenly into two greased baking pans.
- Bake, then use a toothpick to test for doneness. Let the cakes cool in their pans a bit before inverting onto a cooling rack, where they’ll need to cool completely before frosting.
SAM’S TIP: While a toothpick that comes out clean indicates a fully baked cake, an over-baked cake will also yield a clean toothpick. It’s best to pull your vanilla cake out of the oven when a toothpick shows moist crumbs!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This vanilla cake recipe will make 24 vanilla cupcakes. I’ve included instructions for cupcakes in the recipe notes.
A cake that has been over-baked or one in which too much flour was used will be crumbly when cut into. If you invert the cake too soon or try to handle it while it’s too warm, this could also make it break.
Cakes made from scratch require a bit more care and technique than those that come from a box-mix. When making any cake from scratch, take care to not over-mix, over-bake, or use too much flour, or the cake can end up tasting like cornbread. This applies to any cake that is made from scratch, not just this recipe!
What causes dry cake?
Dryness is typically the biggest complaint bakers have when making a cake from scratch, so I thought this FAQ deserved its own space. There are three main causes for a dry cake: over-measuring the flour (addressed above), over-mixing, and over-baking.
- Do not over-mix your batter! Mixing the batter properly can be tricky and this is often where most mistakes are made with homemade cakes. To avoid over-mixing, thoroughly cream together the wet ingredients, particularly the butter, sugar, oil, and eggs. I highly recommend using an electric mixer for this step! However, once you get to the point of combining your wet and dry ingredients, you need to be gentle and fold by hand using a spatula. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, folding thoroughly, but not aggressively. The batter will be smooth and mostly cohesive; there may be some small lumps remaining, but that’s fine! Also, remember that while over-mixing can make your vanilla cake both dry and dense, under-mixing has its own risks and should be avoided as well!
- Do not over-bake your cake! Even a minute too long in the oven can cause a cake to be too dry and dense. When baking, place your cake pans on the center rack of your oven and always make sure your oven is running at the proper temperature (most ovens do not, so keep a thermometer in yours!). Don’t check your vanilla cake too early (that can make it sink!), but do keep an eye on it. When your cake is ready to come out of the oven, the center should spring back if lightly touched–it should not deflate or appear jiggly. You can also use the toothpick test to check for doneness. To do this, simply insert a toothpick in the center of your cake; it’s done if the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Once your vanilla cake is done, let it cool in the pan for only 10-15 minutes before running a knife around the edge and inverting it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
SAM’S NOTE: Under-mixing your cake batter, not baking the cake for long enough, or opening the oven door too frequently while the cake bakes can cause the cake to sink as it cools.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil¹
- 1 ½ cup (300 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour²
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
- 1 batch Chocolate Frosting click link for recipe, or use one of the other frostings recommended in the notes below
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and prepare two deep 8" round cake pans³ by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing the sides. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer) cream together the butter, canola oil and sugar until creamy and well-combined.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (120 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil¹, 1 ½ cup (300 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined after each addition.4 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour², 1 Tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Using a spatula and gently hand-mixing, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined after each addition. The batter should be thoroughly combined, but there may be some small lumps in the batter and avoid over-mixing (and do not use your electric mixer or stand mixer for this step).1 ¼ cup (300 ml) buttermilk
- Evenly divide batter into your prepared cake pans, and bake on 350F (175C) for 30-35 minutes. When the cake is done, the surface should spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
- Allow cakes to cool in their cake pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost cake using my chocolate frosting (or see notes for other favorite frosting options) and decorate with sprinkles (if desired).1 batch Chocolate Frosting
Notes
¹Cooking oil
You may use any neutral cooking oil instead of vegetable or canola oil. I generally don’t recommend olive oil, which is heavier and has a distinct flavor that could affect the end taste result of your cake.²Cake Flour
You may substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour. Use 3 ⅓ cups or 375g of cake flour.³Different size baking pans
- 13×9″ pan: This recipe makes enough for one 13×9″ baking pan. Readers have reported the approximate bake time is 30 minutes.
- Two 9″ pans: Readers have reported this cake takes approximately 25 minutes to bake in 9″ pans.
- Bundt pan: Readers have reported this cake takes approximately 40-45 minutes to bake in a bundt pan
Vanilla Cupcakes:
This recipe will make approximately 24 vanilla cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners no more than ¾ of the way full. Bake on 350F for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs or clean.Frosting Options
The chocolate frosting I linked to in the ingredients is my favorite pairing with this cake, but here are some other great options:Video note
In the video I mistakenly say to add more buttermilk than is necessary. The written recipe is correct with 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Mama M
Thanks for what is smelling like a delicious cake recipe! (It’s in the oven now, so we’ll report back on the outcome.)
We’re creating a layer cake with round cake pans—6”, 8”, and 10”. How much baking time in the oven would you estimate each size requires? If 8” round is 30-35 min, how much time would the 6” and 10” require?
Many thanks,
M
Sam
Unfortunately I haven’t baked it in smaller or larger pans so I can’t really provide a good guess. I’m sorry. 🙁
Taya
Hi Sam! I’ve been looking everywhere for a vanilla cake for my Grandmother’s birthday and this is the perfect one!
However, I don’t have any neutral vegetable oil in my house… only extra virgin olive oil. Could I use a 1/2 cup of olive oil or do you think it would affect the flavour? Should I just use a 1/2 cup of melted butter instead?
Thanks so much!
Sam
Hi Taya! I would probably use melted butter over olive oil but the cake probably won’t be as moist. 🙂
Noelle
Can you use powdered buttermilk? If so how Would you incorporate? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Noelle! Unfortunately I ‘m not very familiar with using powdered buttermilk so I don’t exactly know how it will go here. If you try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Annabelle
I’m 9 years old and I love this recipe it turned out perfectly. I have been looking a nice easy cake recipe for a while now and then I found yours. I make this all the time and my family loves it. Do you have a fondant recipe if so I would love to check it out? I going to try your no bake chocolate and peanut butter cookies this week. I hope they are as good as your other recipes thank you.
Sam
Hi Annabelle! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much! Unfortunately, I do not have a fondant recipe. 🙁 I hope you love the cookies! 🙂
Ember
Indoubled the recipe thinking it would make 48 cupcakes,but it made like 60. Not complaining Though they were amazing!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Nothing wrong with a few extra cupcakes! 😉
Emmy
We’ve been looking for a year for a good vanilla cake recipe, and cake this is it!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Emmy! 🙂
Sareka
My came came out wonderful. It was moist and delicious. I will definitely be saving this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sareka! 🙂
Meredith
Was hoping to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday but don’t have round cake pans. Could you use rectangular glass Pyrex and cut in half? If so what size glass pan would I use and how long would it cook for?
Sam
Hi Meredith! You can bake this in a 13 x 9 glass dish. I have had others report a 30 minute bake time in a 13 x 9 but that was a metal pan so I am not quite sure what a bake time would be in a glass dish. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get over-baked. 🙂
Mmesoma
Would separating the egg whites from the yolk and adding them separately(egg whites whipped into a meringue like in your white cake recipe) affect the cake badly?
Sam
I haven’t done it. I don’t think it will ruin the cake. It may make it a little bit fluffier. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Emily
Amazing cake! Moist and really tasty. Although mine wasn’t as fluffy, the only substitution I made was using cake flour instead of plain (all purpose) flour, could that be the reason? I assumed cake flour would help with the fluffyness
Sam
Hi Emily! With cake flour you usually get a tighter crumb which makes it not quite as fluffy. This recipe is really made for all-purpose flour. Another possible issue is the batter may have been over-mixed. I hope this helps. 🙂
Kirbie
Hello! Do you think this recipe would work okay for a cake mold (planning a dinosaur bday!) I tried it last year and it was delicious, but wasn’t sure if it made a difference in using for different styles of cakes. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Kirbie! This cake should work in a cake mold. It’s a pretty sturdy cake. 🙂
Briana
This is my go to vanilla cake recipe ! I LOVE IT ! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Briana! 🙂
Tendai
I have been looking for vanilla cake recipe for long time but now i have found one,thank you very much for this recipe i tried it mmm the cake was so nice yummy yummy.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Eilifr
Hi I’m 10 years old, and I really love this recipe !! Me and my mom tried to bake it together and it turned out really moist. We added buttercream (your buttercream recipe) to make it prettier but, the cake it self is really delicous (the buttercream is delicious too). I really recomend this recipe. Thankyou Samantha Merritt. 😊😊😊
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Jenn
Could Crisco shortening be substituted for the oil? I’m looking forward to trying this recipe!!
Sam
Hi Jenn! I haven’t tried it so I’m not quite sure how it would turn out. I think it could work but I am not sure the cake would be as good. Let me know how it goes if you try it. 🙂